Re: Songs to Practice Barre Chord Changes?

I think the hardest is the "B" chord. It's getting a little easier in terms of movement, but the sound of the chords is still a little muted.

Yep, that seems to be the consensus. The "double-barre" (aka A-shape barre) is difficult to get a good clean sound out of, especially during faster changes.

A couple of suggestions that worked for me.

1. Don't sweat it if the high e string is muted by your ring finger. Just concentrate on getting a good solid barre from your index which covers the high e. The note on the high e will become clearer as your ring finger joint stretches and you are able to lift the middle section of your ring finger away from the fretboard while keeping your finger pad flat. This takes time. You are training your finger to bend the opposite way it is intended to, so be patient. (Side note: Even if you never get a good clean sound out of the high e, it's OK. You are still making a complete chord, i.e, you still have the major triad covered with strings 2-5. Lots of guitarists never worry about the high e when making this shape.)

2. In addition, you are strengthening your gripping muscles. You can use your middle finger to overlap and help force down your index, and if necessary, use your pinky to help force down your ring. (Sort of like partially crossing your fingers.) I see a lot of pro guitarists do this.